Semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses include one called a single wafer processing type semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing silicon wafers one by one. In this single wafer processing type semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a wafer support unit for horizontally supporting only one wafer is usually arranged in a process chamber.
The wafer support unit generally has a susceptor (substrate holding table) where a wafer is placed. The susceptor is heated by a heating means such as a lamp, and the wafer is heated through the susceptor.
The wafer support unit also has a lift mechanism for vertically moving the wafer placed on the susceptor with respect to the susceptor. The lift mechanism has a plurality of lift pins extending through the susceptor. When the wafer is placed on the upper ends of the lift pins and the lift pins are vertically moved, the wafer can be vertically moved. The lift mechanism can transfer a wafer transferred on the blade of a transfer robot onto the susceptor, or can conversely transfer a wafer from the susceptor to the transfer robot.